From the Principal

St Justin’s Primary School acknowledges the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as Australia's First People and Traditional Custodians of the land and waterways on which our school stands.

We pay our respects to the Bunurong people of the Kulin Nation, and their elders past and present, and emerging as we continue to proudly live and learn on their land.

St Justin's Primary School - Celebrating over 40 years of Catholic Education

Dear Families and Friends,

First Eucharist

This Saturday and Sunday, students from Year 4 will celebrate their First Eucharist at one of our Parish Masses: Saturday 14th June 6.30pm Mass, Sunday 15th June 10.00am Mass and Sunday 15th June 5.00pm Mass. We wish them all the very best for this special celebration.

In preparation for their First Eucharist, students received the Sacrament of Reconciliation today with Father Andrew and Father Jean-Sebastien.

Please keep our Year 4 students in your prayers as they continue on their faith journey.

Year 6 Leadership Conference

Over the past few weeks, Year 6 students worked together to plan a Leadership Conference. We presented to members of staff, the School Advisory Council (SAC), the Year 5s, SRC Leaders and Mini Vinnies from Years 3 to 5.

One of the best parts of the conference was that every leadership team was focused and involved—no one sat back or stayed quiet. When it was time to present, each team was ready to share what had gone well, what could be improved, and an action plan for the future.

Our “Taking Action” plans went really well because everyone had great ideas for how their team could make a difference. Now we’re thinking about how to put those ideas into action.

The SAC gave fair and helpful feedback to all the teams, and we’re excited to keep improving and working on our goals.

Emotional Intelligence

It has certainly been a busy term at St Justin's, filled with a wide range of events and activities, including Student Led Conferences, Cross Country, St Justin Aerobics Squad, Year 6 Leadership Conference, Year 5 Camp, St Justin’s Day Mass, Stranger Alert and a Medical Incident, First Eucharist, Interschool Sports, Mother’s Day, just to name a few. Our students have experienced many highs, and sometimes, a few challenges.

As adults, we often have the benefit of past experiences to guide our responses to emotional situations. We've learned to self-regulate or know when to consult with a trusted friend or family member. However, the rise of social media has introduced a new dynamic. While it offers a platform to share our feelings, it can also lead to a deluge of opinions that may not always provide clarity or helpful guidance. Often, posts on social media serve more to validate an initial emotional reaction rather than to seek constructive ways to respond.

At school, we see firsthand that children are still developing these crucial emotional regulation skills. When faced with strong feelings, their initial reactions – whether through words or actions – aren't always the most appropriate. That's why we explicitly teach strategies like the "traffic light method": Stop, Think, Then Do or Don't Do. This helps children pause, process their emotions, and choose a more constructive response.

We observe a parallel in the online world. Just as children can react impulsively, adults sometimes share emotional responses on social media without fully considering the impact or seeking a clear path forward.

This brings us to a vital point: as parents and educators, we play a crucial role in modeling responsible social media behaviour for our children. They are constantly observing how we interact online, and our actions significantly influence their understanding of appropriate digital citizenship.

Here are some key considerations for modeling responsible social media use:

Think Before You Post: Before sharing something, especially when feeling emotional, take a moment to consider if the post is helpful, kind, and necessary. Ask yourself: "Does this contribute positively to the conversation?"
Be Mindful of Privacy: Remember that what is posted online can be permanent and widely shared. Teach your children about the importance of protecting personal information and respecting the privacy of others.
Engage Respectfully: Disagreements are inevitable, but how we handle them online matters. Model respectful communication, even when expressing differing opinions. Avoid inflammatory language or personal attacks.
Understand the Audience: Help your children understand that different platforms have different audiences and expectations. What's appropriate to share with close friends might not be suitable for a public forum.
Seek Clarity, Not Just Validation: When facing a challenging situation, encourage your children (and yourselves) to seek out reliable information and trusted advice, rather than just seeking validation for an initial emotional reaction online.

By consciously demonstrating responsible social media habits, we can help our children navigate the complexities of the digital world with greater emotional intelligence and confidence.

We encourage you to have ongoing conversations with your children about their online experiences and to reinforce the importance of kindness, respect, and critical thinking in all their digital interactions.

New Defibrillator Machines

Recently, two new defibrillator machines were installed throughout the St Justin's community. We now have a defibrillator machines located in the:

Church Foyer (inside the front door on the left hand side next to the fire hose),
Performing Arts Centre (just insdie the door on the left hand side),
School Foyer (past the Administration Window, outside the Sick Bay).

The new defib machines in the Church and PAC were purchaed using funds rasied from the Fair on the Hill - thanks everyone for your support.

New Families

Over the last few weeks, I've had the privilege of interviewing our Prep families for 2026. During the interview we ask why they have chosen St Justin's as their preferred school. Whilst there is a variety of reasons, many will comment on the fact that it has a great sense of community. I then ask as to how they see themselves contributing to this community, given that community is not something "over there" it is something we become part of and that community can only exist if we all contribute. Being part of the St Justin's community not only helps us all, but it is great role modelling for our children - to be part of a community we need to be proactive.

For nine years now I've asked the same question and had the same eager responses. Hence the reason I must admit, I was a little surprised last week when we had our Parents and Friends meeting and only had 4 people attend, and one of them was Fr Andrew and the other was me (we also had a few apologies). Fortunately, the two others are very keen to drive things and ensure that events happen (they also have some very supportive friends). We are the Parents and Friends - not them, not those people, not they, but us. This is our community, our responsibility. Getting involved, getting on board, not only makes our community stronger but encourgages others to do even more.

Thanks to all those who are proactive in our community and do so much to create community - we are extremely grateful for your support.

Important Dates

Whilst we have most dates in the calendar, some dates include:

Saturday 14th June - First Eucharist Mass - 6.30pm
Sunday 15th June - First Eucharist Mass - 10.00am & 5:00pm
Wednesday 18th June - Maths Olympiad Competition
Wednesday 18th June - Music Soiree 7.00pm
Friday 20th June - Year 5/6 Winter Sports Day

Please refer to Dates Ahead for a full list of important dates in Term 2.

Year 5/6 Winter Sport Competition

Our Year 5/6 students have been very fortunate to be involved this term in the Winter Sport Competition against other schools in our district. This competition enables students to experience being involved in a team sport with their school peers. It also gives some students the opportunity to play a sport they may not have had the opportunity to play before.

The sports played were Netball, Softball, Football and Soccer. It was great to see our students enjoy this experience and also success along the way.

Thank you to the many parents who came along to cheer on our students and for the parents and volunteers who assisted with, coaching, umpiring or reffing.

Well done to our Year 5/6 students on how they represented our school during this event!

Music Soiree

Camps Sports and Excursions Fund

CSEF Applications close 04/07/2025

Professional Learning - School Closure Days

Ongoing professional learning is essential for St Justin's to keep abreast of the latest in education. Please note there will be no school for students on these days.

Term 3 Monday 11th August - School Closure Day - Staff Professional Learning Day Focus: UFLI Phonics

Please note that these days are not taken lightly - they are essential for us to continue supporting our students at St Justin's.

Traffic Management

Unfortunately, we still have a number of parents speeding up the driveway, using the staff carpark as a drop off zone. This week that unthoughtful behaviour almost resulted in a serious incident.

A reminder that no car should enter the school grounds unless:

accessing Before and After School Care.
permission has been granted by the principal.
picking up or dropping of students during class time.
attending an event after school hours.

Please note:

Parishioners will be arriving in the morning to attend Mass - they may park in the school grounds
if it is and raining and cold weather , students should use a jacket or umbrella - using the school grounds to drop off and pick up can make things even more dangerous.
the speed limit inside the school grounds is 5km/h - which is very slow.

As always, thank you for your ongoing support.

All the best,

Pat

Mr Patrick Torpey

Principal